When to cut and bulk help??

elishazf

Hi so after losing 45-50 pounds ( I haven't weighed myself in a while) I'm trying to get like ripped six pack and everything haha. I'm 6 foot and weigh 150. I was wondering if I should be bulking right now or cutting? And if I'm supposed to be bulking when do I know to cut and how do you cut? Thanks!

NRBreit

At 6' and 150 lbs., you're probably don't want to lose much more weight. You might consider hitting the heavy weights and bulking to gain some lean body mass followed by a cut to reveal the six-pack. Do you know what your body fat % is currently?

Ge0rgiana

I'd say you need to bulk. 150 at 6' is awful thin, hon.

BrettPGH

6', 150lbs?!

Bulk son!

Eat all the food, especially protein. Lift all the weights. Find yourself a good routine you enjoy and always be increasing your lifts.

elishazf

At 6' and 150 lbs., you're probably don't want to lose much more weight. You might consider hitting the heavy weights and bulking to gain some lean body mass followed by a cut to reveal the six-pack. Do you know what your body fat % is currently?

I think last I checked my body fat % was somewhere in the lower teens. like 14. prob a bit less now

AnvilHead

Here's a great article about bulking and cutting:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

You might want to poke around the rest of Lyle's website too - he has a lot of good information about both diet and training.

Bobby__Clerici

Here's a great article about bulking and cutting:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

You might want to poke around the rest of Lyle's website too - he has a lot of good information about both diet and training.

^^^^^^^^
I have enjoyed these articles. It's no magic bullet, and progress is very slow.
Whatever.
If this were easy, America would not be a nation of fat sissies....

ilovedeadlifts

At 6 feet tall, I'd say anything under 190ish pounds is wayyy to skinny. I was insanely skinny at 155 and I'm only 5'7"

Bulk like there's no tomorrow.

kdeaux1959

I agree with the prior posts that at your height/weight, it is probably time to bulk... I am 227 and 6'3" and don't plan to lose but maybe another 12 lbs or so, if that. I have read somewhere where many body builders try to bulk during the winter and cut in the Spring (so they are ready for swimwear season...) Seems like a plan to me... Once I get where I feel I need to be.

weightloss12345678

Here's a great article about bulking and cutting:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

You might want to poke around the rest of Lyle's website too - he has a lot of good information about both diet and training.

going to check this out

AKDonF

Ok, Im gonna get flammed for sure, but here goes anyway.

First and foremost, to get 'ripped' and have a 'six-pack', you have to pretty much be at or below 10% body fat. In my experience, there are really NO alternatives. Also, to gain lean body mass LBM, there is very much a huge hormonal advantage to attempt to 'bulk' at about 9-12% body fat or so. I have experiemented with and do not like the whole 'bulk' and 'cut' phases because they are usually too long. DEFINITELY read Lyle McDonald as others have suggested.

In terms of pro bodybuilders, they do bulk in winter and cut for summer, but they NEVER get above middle teens for body fat. More like 10% for bulk and stage bodyfat percentages are about 3-4% total.

Anyway, achieving a specific body look in a muscular sense is about 85% nutrition and 15% work (lifting). To make real progress you need some way of measuring progress. I suggest getting body fat calipers and learning how to use them. Then (even more my opinion) you should strive to get to about 9% body fat or so. Then, take a 2 week break at maintenace calories. At that point bulk until you gain about 13% body fat and then cut back to 9% and repeat the cycle.

Again this is just my opinion. If you straight go for a long 'bulk' phase, your going to get further and further from a being 'ripped'. I wish you the best of luck in your goals however you proceed.

Bakkasan

Ha you live down the road from me!

Don't worry about that 6pack at least till after you put on some muscle mass.

ilovedeadlifts

Don't worry about that 6pack at least till after you put on some muscle mass.

This.
Lots of people, myself included, waste a lot of time trying to have a 6 pack before they have any muscle mass at all.
You end up just looking scrawny as hell.

Spend a year eating big and lifting weights, maybe by then you'll grow out of the notion that guys need to have visible 6 packs.

AKDonF

Exactly! Except that I would say it depends on individual goals. If you want to be a power lifter, skip the 'ripped' thinking and bulk & lift like there is NO tomorrow!!! If you want to see your abs (and everyone has them to some extent) then lower body fat. If you dont want to look skinny but you are, then you have to decide what you want to do. I prefer to look a certain way all the time, even if no one else sees it. You have a paradox to overcome, you cant instantly be huge, ripped, and strong. It takes YEARS to get there, if you ever do. Focus on one goal that is MOST important to you and work towards that first. Everyone's goals are different and all require a lot of work.

NRBreit

QUOTE:

Here's a great article about bulking and cutting:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

You might want to poke around the rest of Lyle's website too - he has a lot of good information about both diet and training



Great article, thanks for sharing!